ALPIN – Das Bergmagazine Ski Reviews – 2011/2012

Translation of the Tour Ski Review (“Tourenbegleiter”) by David Gerrard, edited by Lou Dawson, published with permission of Alpin Magazine, editor Olaf Perwitzschky. Thanks goes to Alpin for giving us the “Euro perspective!”

Please note: We bring this to the front TODAY because we just added all the “Freeride” review information (see last parts of reviews below.) The first review translated below is the Alpin "touring skis" review as opposed to their "freeride review&quot which comes after. The Freeride Review includes what Alpin views as the more downhill oriented and heavier (but not too heavy) planks. Freeride winner K2 Coomback is a good example: About as all-around a ski as you can get, but not particularly light in mass. We’re not sure the Alpin division of Touring vs Freeride categories makes much sense these days, but that’s how Alpin does it so to publish their excellent stuff we have to follow the same format. The Freeride Review is published below, down under the Tour review. Kastle TX87 (mislabeled as FX 87 here and there) wins Alpin’s Touring category because it just skis every condition so well even at a fairly narrow width (122/87/110) compared to “freeride” skis. Narrow skis that do well is a challenge for ski engineers to pull off and very admirable. Enjoy.

So haben wir getestet – How we evaluated and tested

We weighed all skis on calibrated scales.  The weight of the binding (also measured) was then subtracted.  The length of the ski was calculated by laying a spirit level on the ski and then measuring the actual length.  The Weight Index resulted from the measured weight divided by the actual length, it does not consider surface area.  As we always do at Alpin with our ski tests, the skiing characteristics were determined as usual by twelve testers (6 men, 6 women).  All models were skied mornings and afternoons by all testers, to have them skied in comparable conditions.  Only the skis which were tested and evaluated by at least eight testers are included below.

(Editor’s note: Also, due to the hard hitting nature of the Alpin ski testing, not all ski companies choose to be included. What is more, Alpin only tests and publishes results for skis they feel are adequate or better for ski touring and backcountry skiing. This is similar to our gear review style here at WildSnow.com, and thus makes the Alpin reviews a good fit. In other words, Alpin doesn’t waste time publishing about skis they wouldn’t recommend — everything below will work.)

The Alpin Article

Es geht voran! Die Entwicklung steht nicht still.  There’s no stopping progress and especially in the development of touring- and powder-skis some music is returning.  The magic word is currently the “rocker," which can be found on more and more touring-skis, sometimes even on traditional, narrow-waisted skis.  But what exactly is a rocker?

A normal ski without a rocker has a “negative pre-tension." Simply stated, you put the ski unweighted on the floor, the center will flex gently upward with base contact only near the tip and tail surfaces.  A ski with a rocker has a different contact area. The front end of the ski starts to curve upward closer to the binding (in effect it has a longer “tip”).   And many rockered skis also have this type of geometry at the tail.

But what use is this anyway?

Well, rocker has the effect of increasing the lift of the ski in deeper snow, which means it stays closer to the surface.  Lots of ski-tourers recognize the problem: they find it difficult to turn in deeper snow.  Why?  Because they are skiing “in” the snow and not “on” the snow.  Only after gaining a certain speed will the ski start to float, but to get there one needs to be confident enough to ski faster.  Those who can’t reach optimal speed for the type of skis they are on may have a tough time! This is when rocker comes into its own: Due to the exaggerated tip and tail, the ski lifts higher in the powder, and skis in a more "floaty" and easier way.

A similar effect can also be achieved with a softer tip construction, therefore you can’t make the generalization that “rockered skis are great in deep snow and skis without a rocker are poor”. All this is very dependent on the correct overall ski-construction.

What can be achieved by the addition of a rocker has been shown the last couple of seasons by the K2 Wayback and Back Up.  Last season the Wayback was given a rocker and landed at the top of our testers ranking.  The Back Up was given a rocker this season which also sent it to the top of our ranking.

This was only overshadowed by a “near-newcomer”: the Kästle.  The TX-87 had us all convinced – and without rocker. Or at least without a visible one.  The ski is agile and stable, relatively light (but not one of the extra light skis) and still very good when the snow begins to get hard.

 Even on extremely hard piste the TX87 was surprisingly good at edging. Which is interesting as its little brother, the Kästle TX77, failed to convince our testers at all – which again goes to disprove the notion that they come into the test with preformed opinions, otherwise they would have both received a good score or an average score, depending on which model was skied first.  

That lighter skis can also perform was proven by Völkl.  The Inuk is a super light ski (lighter than many branded as “lightweight”) which is also great fun to ski.  The experience of the Straubinger ski-specialists is evident here.  

And what of the narrow and light skis below 80mm underfoot?  Naturally they’re more difficult to ski in deeper snow.  The formula is simple: less surface area; less lift.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not up to much or are not fun to ski.  And that the width is not always the key is proven by Stöckli again.  The Stormrider Light is one of the narrowest skis (72mm underfoot), but amongst the smaller, lighter skis has much to say for itself.

A new item in this ski test is that we have measured the “true” length of the skis (not the “unrolled” length of the ski base).  The difference doesn’t appear large, but between a 170cm Völkl (measured 170,5cm) and a 170cm Elan (measured 167,5cm) there is over 3cm!  This is noticeable, at the very least when you try and pull a 170cm skin onto the new ski!  In addition it has an appreciable influence on the weight-index (weight / length of ski) and we want to of course make a true comparison between the skis.

 

Tour-skis <80mm
Company	Blizzard	Movement	Kneissl	Völkl	Blizzard
Model	Expedition	Random	Route Star	Mauja	Free Cross
Country of manufacture	Austria	Tunisia	Austria	Germany	Austria
Strengths and Weakness	+ very light + very maneuverable – rather unstable	+ light – poor edging – somewhat nervous	+ well balanced – unstable	+ good value + homogenous – not optimal on ice	+ maneuverable – not especially stable
Alpin Summary	The Expedition is a ski for lightweight freaks.  It doesn’t ski very convincingly and it has a hard time on steep slopes.	The Random was somewhat inhomogenous. The shorter length (158cm) couldn’t make the hearts of the female testers beat any faster, the longer men’s ski was somewhat better.	The Route Star is a typical traditional touring ski.  Light and narrow, it appeals to the alpinists amongst ski-tourers.	The Mauja is a well balanced skifor the traditional ski-tourer, who wants an all-round ski.  A very good ski for the price.	The Free Cross is for years more or less unchanged in the Blizzard range.  Despite this, still a competitive ski.
Overall evaluation	Satisfactory (3/6)	Adequate (4/6)	Satisfactory (3/6)	Good (2/6)	Satisfactory (3/6)

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Tour-skis <80mm
Manufacturer	Atomic	Stöckli	Kneissl	Kästle	Mountain Wave
Model	Descender	Stormrider Tour Light	Tour Star	TX77	Get Up
Country of manufacture	Austria	Austria	Austria	Austria	Czech Republic
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ forgiving – not especially good at edging	+ good edge + stable	+ agile + stable	– not especially good at edging – unstable	+ relatively stable – somewhat lazy
Alpin Summary	Last year the Descender was our lightweight tip.  This year it was also convincing (for a light ski), but it didn’t quite take the top prize.	Last year it was the big brother, this time the light version of the Stöckli Stormrider gets our tip.  It doesn’t always have to be very wide and very heavy.  A great ski for ski-mountaineers.	The better value of the two Kneissl touring-ski versions, and also the better performing (but also heavier).  Agile and stable, this ski convinced the traditionalists.	This was interesting: the big brother (TX87) is this review’s winner, the TX77 in contrast barely made any positive impression on our testers.	A solid ski, not so easy to unsettle, the Get-Up will appeal to your general ski-tourer.  More suited to harder surfaces than powder.
Overall evaluation	Good (2/6)	Very Good (1/6)	Good (2/6)	Satisfactory (3/6)	Satisfactory (3/6)
		Alpin Lightweight Tip

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Tour-skis <80mm
Manufacturer	Scott	Elan
Model	Explor’Air	Alaska
Country of manufacture	Austria	Slovenia
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ in powder fine – noticeably poor edging	– poor stability – poor edging on ice
Alpin Summary	What’s happened to the Explor’Air? Last year it was terrific, this year hardly convincing, especially on the piste or harder snowpack.	The Alaska had a hard time.  It isn’t one of the lightest skis, and we expected more grip on ice given its proportions.  We couldn’t determine whether the finish or the construction was to blame.
Overall Evaluation	Adequate (4/6)	Adequate (4/6)

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Tour-skis >80mm
Manufacturer	Movement	Völkl	Dynastar	Movement	Hagan
Model	Logic	Inuk	Altitrail Powder	Bond	Skyrider
Country of manufacture	Tunisia	Germany	France	Tunisia	Ukraine
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ Good in powder – somewhat sluggish	+ relatively light + stable for the weight + easy to ski	+ light – very instable – poor edging	+ good in powder – poor edging	+ stable + good allrounder – unstable in difficult snow
Alpin Summary	The Logic doesn’t like to be turned too quickly.  Good at open, slower turns.  Not so good at quick, short turns.	A real Völkl.  For its weight the ski is great to ride.  Whoever is looking for a light ski, but with modern proportions and width can be well advised with the Inuk.	The Altitrail Powder was one of the first wide touring-skis.  From today’s perspective somewhat aged.  It is rather unstable and especially on hard surfaces has poor grip.	The third ski from the Movement range could not fully convince either.  In powder great, but once it gets harder under the ski, it lacks edge and stability.	At long last a Hagan is back in the ski test and a good one at that.  The Skyrider is a very well-balanced all-rounder without any obvious strengths or weaknesses.
Overall Evaluation	Satisfactory (3/6)	Very Good (1/6)	Adequate (4/6)	Adequate (4/6)	Good (2/6)
		Alpin Lightweight Tip

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Tour-skis >80mm
Manufacturer	Black Diamond	Hagan	K2	Kästle	Black Diamond
Model	Aspect	Corvus	Back-Up	TX87	Drift
Country of manufacture	China	Ukraine	China	Austria	China
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ great in powder – poor edging	+ good allrounder – in heavy snow slightly unsteady	+ agile + stable +great allrounder	+ stable + good edging + a great allrounder	+ great in powder – weak on hard surfaces
Alpin Summary	One of the top skis of the last years.  The Aspect couldn’t quite convince this year.  Additionally the BD skis were all equally poorly finished, which obviously has an effect on how they ski.  Otherwise they may have had more of a chance.	The Corvus was the preferred of the two Hagan skis. With its 87mm underfoot the Corvus is a modern touring ski with which you can do anything.	This year the Back-Up was just ahead of the Wayback.  The Back-Up now has a rocker, which is noticeable.  A great allrounder with a measured width, with which it appeals to the traditional ski-tourer and ski-mountaineer.	Test Winner 2011/12! The TX87 just made it ahead of the competition.  A convincing ski across all disciplines (especially as the TX77 wasn’t so good).  A modern touring ski.	The Drift is naturally (with 100mm underfoot!) fantastic in powder.  The harder the surface, the more weakness it shows.  Also with a better finish it might have been more convincing.
Overall evaluation	Good (2/6)	Good (2/6)	Very Good (1/6)	Very Good (1/6)	Good (2/6)
			Alpin Allround Tip	Alpin Test Winner

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Tour-skis >80mm
Manufacturer	K2	Mountain Wave	Dynastar	Scott
Model	Wayback	Personal Jesus	Altitrail Mythic Light	Cruise’Air
Country of manufacture	China	Czech Republic	France	Austria
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ agile + stable – not great on ice	+ the name! + super in powder – not especially agile	+ well balanced – could have better edging	+ great in powder – the edging
Alpin Summary	The test winner from last year.  The Wayback is the big (broader) brother of the Back Up.  Not quite so well balanced: on harder surfaces it showed weakness.  For touring still a great ski.	A ski which strongly polarises?  This is it!  Some found it great, others couldn’t get to grips with it.  The end results reflect the average values: the somewhat alternative touring-ski	The Altitrail Mythic Light convinced the testers this year.  It wasn’t in the top ranking, but with its well balanced character a good allrounder and a modern touring ski.	Scott has slightly revised the Cruise’Air this year, but where did the edging go?  In powder the ski was as convincing as ever, but on hard piste or crust it showed clear weaknesses, as did its smaller brother the Explor’Air.
Overall Evaluation	Very Good (1/6)	Good (2/6)	Good (2/6)	Satisfactory (3/6)

 

Translation For Graphics Text Below
GERMAN	ENGLISH
Hersteller	Manufacturer
Modell	Model
Preis	Price
Herstellungsland	Country of manufacture
Vertrieb	Make
Getestete Längen	Tested lengths
Länge (nachgemessen)	Remeasured length
Differenz (effektiv)	Difference
Art des Rockers	Type of rocker
Gewicht (bei Länge)	Weight (of length)
Gewichtsindex (Gewicht / Länge)	Weight index (Weight / Length)
Taillerung (in mm)	Dimensions
Radius	Radius
Eignung Abfahrt	Descent Characteristics
Enge / kurze Schwünge	Tight / short turns
Weite / lange Schwünge	Wide / long turns
Flaches Gelände (bis 30 deg)	Flat terrain (to 30 deg)
Steiles Gelände (ab 30 deg)	Steep terrain (above 30 deg)
Auf harte Piste	On hard piste
Im Pulverschnee	In powder
In schwierigen Schnee	In difficult snow
Eigenschaften	Characteristics
Drehfreudigkeit	Manoeuvrability
Laufruhe bei niedriger Geschwindigkeit	Stability at low speeds
Laufruhe bei hoher Geschwindigkeit	Stability at high speeds
Kantengriff	Edge-grip
Eignung	Suitability
Mehrtagestouren / Durchquerungen	Multi-day tours / Traverses
Tagestour aufstiegsorientiert	Day tours ascent orientated
Tagestouren abfahrtsorientiert	Day tours descent orientated
Freeride mit kurzen Auftiegen	(Freeride) Descent with short ascents
Pisten	Pistes
Empfehlung	Recommendation
Anfänger / Einsteiger	Beginners
Gute Fahrer	Good skiers
Sehr gute Fahrer	Very good skiers
Stärken und Schwächen	Strengths and Weaknesses
Alpin-Fazit	Alpin Summary
Gesamtnota	Overall Score
Overall Score: Explained (Scored out of 6)
Sehr gut	Very good
Gut	Good
Befriedigend	Satisfactory
Ausreichend	Adequate
Mangelhaft	Poor
Ungenügend	Insufficient

Alpine touring ski review graphic from Alpin Magazine is below, in panorama mode. Let us know if it’s useful. Note that the skis are arranged with the lightest ones first, but the weight is a simply calculation of mass:length that doesn’t consider surface area. Table above translates the scored parameters.
[photonav url=’https://wildsnow.com/mountain-panoramas/alpin-test-2011.jpg’].

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Alpin Freeride Review

Each “freeride” ski was tested in the ski-resort of Gerlos, in the Zillertaler Arena, over a period of four days, by at least 13 of the testers who made the evaluations. We also made sure that whichever of models were available in two lengths were skied by the women in the group as well as the men. The weight of the mounted ski was measured with calibrated scales, then the weight of the (also weighed) binding subtracted from the total weight. The weight index was calculated from the weight of the ski divided by the measured ski-length. The actual length of the ski was measured, not the “unravelled” length of the ski-base.

The Article: Frei wie ein Vogel; “Free as a bird”
In the second part of our big ski test we’ve taken 13 touring-suitable Freerider skis through the best powder and heaviest corn-snow. These fat planks also had to show they had what it takes on the piste. Our conclusion: fat is good — when not too heavy.

Freeriding hasn’t just captured the hearts of active skiers recently. There are also Freeriders in mountain-biking, wind-surfing, snow-boarding and skate-boarding! It appears to be the spirit of the age. Freeriding is doing your sport outside artificial boundaries, but when you define it more strictly it’s more. It means above all adapting your line to the terrain. Rises and hillocks, hollows and cornices are all used to best effect and taken into the descent. You don’t ski a symmetrical track down the mountain any more, but you create your individual signature: you are free! This could explain why freeriding is currently undergoing a boom at the moment: it’s free of restrictions.

In ski-touring you have unlimited choices for this style of skiing, always taking the avalanche situation and your own ability into consideration. The right gear is also critical. With a ski with 72mm underfoot, it won’t be easy! The secret to freeriding is width. The wider the ski, the more surface area and therefore the easier it floats, because in freeriding you don’t ski IN the snow, but ON the snow. The ski has to float, because then it is easier to turn where previously it was a struggle. Other than the width, the float of a ski is also dependent on many other factors. A soft tip makes a ski rise easier: the ski curves upwards from the tip with the pressure from the snow underneath. Resourceful ski-makers have exaggerated this effect by pre-curving the ski. Therefore many of the modern touring-skis aren’t pre-tensioned as was usual for decades previously, but have a upward curve at the tip (and sometimes tail): the rocker! The rocker speeds up the float of a ski and makes it easier to ski as you want in deeper snow, and that with ease.

Many traditionalists (German: “old hares”) are of the opinion that this new way of skiing powder doesn’t require any technique any more. And they are right: it’s much easier than it was and it takes much less effort. So what? It is fun! As ski-tourers don’t just ski down the mountain, but (mostly) have to ascend first, it means we’re more limited in our choice of ski, than pure freeriders who ascend with the lift. Because of this we haven’t just selected the most radical or sexiest, but those most suitable for touring. But what does that mean?

Naturally everyone has their own limits, but a few factors are certain. First of all: the ski shouldn’t be too heavy. On the uphill every gram counts. Whoever goes touring on wide planks certainly isn’t a ski-racer in disguise.

But there are limits to weight. At slow rates of ascent the weight of a ski isn’t as noticeably as when ascending at a brisk or even fast pace. You should realise though that it’s not just the skis weight that counts: on a freeride ski is often a heavier binding and the boot isn’t a lightweight 3-buckle boot, but a stiffer 4-buckle boot. The skins are also wider and heavier and create more drag: all aspects to be considered. In the current test we managed to spot the optimal touring-freerider: the K2 Coomback with just over 100mm underfoot width. For it’s width (the widest in test), it’s not especially heavy. The Coomback is wide enough to be fun even in deep and difficult snow but doesn’t make the ascent of tricky terrain hard work, as with a ski with considerably more than 100mm underfoot
It would soon become a chore.

A completely different ski is the Nordica Fuel i-Core. A thoroughbred all-mountain ski for all those who want to cover piste and freeride with one ski. The Fuel was made with this in mind, but in terrain and powder you have to accept its weaknesses: the lack of width is clearly noticeable. In a similar league (all-mountain) you have the big brother of the Fuel, the Nordica Burner i-Core, the Head Peak 78 and the Stoeckli Stormrider 78. All skis which are fun to ski on the piste, have super edging and convince with their stability. In comparison the somewhat wider (but nevertheless not any heavier) skis with an underfoot between 85 and 100mm have improved to such a degree that the all-mountain skis aren’t as interesting for the ski-tourer any more, compared to perhaps three years ago. They are more suited to skiers who do 50:50 piste and tour, or for those who prefer a very stable ski.

Another very interesting ski is the Blizzard Bushwacker. The ski with the most pronounced rocker of the group tested, it is rockered both at the tip and the tail. Good to ski on the piste and fun off, but its strength lies in its performance in difficult snow. Unfortunately we could only give it a top score of 1. A feeling of security at high speed was felt skiing the Kaestle FX94, which also had a suitable width for touring. Unfortunately it’s so heavy, that you really need to know what you’re doing if you take them on tour. If you scored well in your last ECG test, this could be the ski for you.

A rival for the top spot gained by the Coomback, came from Voelkl. The Nunataq is a wide touring freerider, again with a fully acceptable weight, which was lots of fun to ski. At the final count, however, the Coomback just managed to get its nose in first.

Summary
There are great wide skis which are not too heavy. They demand perhaps a bit more during the ascent, but on the descent they create a smile impossible to wipe off your face. This goes for above all, the K2 Coomback, which combines a good width with acceptable weight and is lots of fun to ski.

The Nordica Fuel i-Coreis the all-mountain ski for all those who want a ski for both the piste and touring, but don’t want to compromise in enjoyment on the piste.
The Kaestle FX94 is a touring-freerider for all those with enough fitness to carry these heavy planks uphill first. You shouldn’t forget to keep enough energy in reserve for the descent. If you have – enjoy!

FREERIDE SKIS
Manufacturer	Atomic	Nordica	Nordica	Völkl	Black Diamond
Model	Aspect	Burner i-core	Fuel i-core	Nunatak	Ember
Country of manufacture	Austria	Austria	Austria	Germany	China
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ good in difficult snow – average edging	+ very stable + super edges – somewhat sluggish	+ agile + stable – limited use in powder	+ Light for its width + super in powder – not great on ice	+ good in powder – sluggish – poor edging
Alpin Summary	A full Freerider or still a touring ski? The Aspect demonstrates the dilemma of classification.  The Aspect is easy to ski, is rockered and above all is at home in deep and difficult snow.	Burner is somewhat wider than the Fuel.  The ski is great on piste and good when the going gets tough.  A proper powder ski it ain’t.	The Fuel is narrower than the Burner, but doesn’t perform any worse in powder. Despite this it isn’t a powder ski either. Great for days of 70% piste and 30% terrain.	The Nunatak is a typical touring-freerider.  Wide, not too heavy, super in powder and when snow is soft.  In hard conditions it naturally has weaknesses.	The Ember is the women’s version of the Warrant, but in other than that powder it wasn’t convincing.  This lay partly on the poor finish, as with the tour-skis.
Overall evaluation	Satisfactory (3/6)	Good (2/6)	Very Good (1/6)	Good (2/6)	Satisfactory (3/6)

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FREERIDE SKIS
Manufacturer	K2	Blizzard	Mountain Wave	Black Diamond	Head
Model	Coomback	Bushwacker	Easy Day	Warrant	Peak 78
Country of manufacture	China	Austria	Czech Republic	China	Austria
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ super in powder + great in difficult snow + very responsive	+ easy in difficult snow + good on piste – heavy for the width	+ extremely stable + great in powder – sluggish	+ good in powder – poor edging	+ very stable + agile – heavy for the width
Alpin Summary	Our Testwinner?  In powder super, in difficult snow great and for such a wide ski great stability.	The ski with the most pronounced rocker, nevertheless it still skis very well on piste. Its overriding strength is difficult snow, where it feels like it’s skiing in powder.	You’ll only have an easy day with the Easy Day if you expect endless powder.  The ski offers a challenge, if you can rise to it, good, otherwise it could be time to call it a day after lunch.	The male version of the Ember was presented somewhat better.  A stable allrounder for off-piste.	A ski from the all-mountain selection.  The Head Peak 78 has been a Test Winner several times.  It convinced with its stability and agility.  In deep snow it has lost its edge over the years.
Overall evaluation	Very good	Very Good (1/6)	Good (2/6)	Satisfactory	Good (2/6)
	Alpin Test Winner

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>

Good (2/6)

FREERIDE SKIS
Manufacturer	Stöckli	Kneissl	Kästle
Model	Stormrider 78	Free Star	FX94
Price
Country of manufacture	Switzerland	Austria	Austria
Strengths and Weaknesses	+ good edging on ice + agile – heavy for the width	+ good allrounder – somewhat aged	+ very stable + good edging – very heavy
Alpin Summary	The next all-mountain ski and with similar characteristics to the Peak 78.  Very stable, agile and with good edging, but deep snow is its obvious weakspot.	The Free Star has also been a Tip in the past, but that was three years ago.  This highly waisted ski can’t keep up with the modern skis off piste any more.	The Kästle is a ski for all those who don’t care for the ascent: it’s all about the down.  Whoever can drag this ski up the hill will have great fun on the descent.
Overall Evaluation	Good (2/6)	Very good (1/6)
			Alpin Powder Tip

Below is the Alpin Magazine Freeride test graphic, published by permission.

[photonav url=’https://wildsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/alpinmag-freeride-ski-test-.jpg’].

(Alpin Magazine test category editor Olaf Perwitzschky began mountaineering with his parents in the early 1970s when he was around 5 years old. He hated the boring slogs to the alpine huts but was exited when it got steeper and when crampons and a rope were needed. After studying sports in Cologne he moved closer to the Alps and started his job as editor at ALPIN, with his main focus as testing products. At the same time he finished his successful education as a professional mountain guide and so combines theory and practice.)